The present invention relates to electrical connectors and, more particularly, to electrical connectors designed for blind mating and for use in adverse environmental conditions.
In some connector applications, blind mating of connectors (i.e., mating with no visual feedback provided to a user during mating) is necessary. Problems encountered with connectors under conditions of blind mating primarily involve centering and alignment of the connectors for proper mating of the electrical contacts without damage to the contacts. Additional mating problems, specific to each type of connector, may also arise. For example, in the blind mating of coaxial connectors, the center conductor of the coaxial cable should possess sufficient rigidity to resist the insertion forces encountered during mating without buckling.
Problems caused by the need for blind mating capability may be compounded when the connector must be designed to operate in adverse environmental conditions, for example, in high-pressure environments and/or in environments with a risk of exposure to excess moisture or contaminants. In such cases, one or more seals must usually be provided to prevent or minimize exposure of the contact interface to the adverse conditions or contaminants. In addition, in some applications, engagement between mating contacts should be permanent to ensure proper functioning of the connector. Thus, the contact interface may be required to provide at least a specified minimum normal force to ensure proper operation of the connector and to inhibit undesired disengagement of the mated electrical contacts. Finally, it may be necessary to secure each contact within the connector housing or mounting structure in a manner sufficient to ensure that at least a minimum desired retention force (or pull-out force) is required to forcibly remove the contact from the housing.